News

News by State

Fla. confirms measles case

Health department officials in Florida confirmed a case of measles on Thursday.

A 41-year-old woman is believed to have contracted the disease while traveling abroad, according to the Florida Department of Health in Broward County. Facilities that the woman visited have been notified, as have individuals who may have been exposed and Broward health care providers, WSVN.com reports.

The woman, who was not named, is doing well, officials said.

Measles are currently taking a toll in Wales, where more than 400 children across 111 second and primary schools, nurseries and play groups have been infected.

Welsh health officials have pointed to a lack of vaccinations as the likely source of the outbreak.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Measles is a respiratory disease caused by a virus that typically grows in the cells lining the back of the throat and lungs. The disease is nearly gone from the United States, though it kills approximately 200,000 people around the world each year. The measles virus spreads through the air by sneezing, coughing or breathing and it is so contagious it is likely that any child exposed to it without immunity will get the disease.